Goals and objectives of the learning community
"The Nature and Culture of Water"

The following provides a sense of the
desired outcome for students and faculty members participating in this learning
community. They include the pedagogical goals and objectives for the separate
courses of the learning community, Humanities 101 and Biology 104, as well
as those for the collaborative integration of the two courses around the theme
of water. The teaching team has carefully considered each in the design of
the program.

Goals for the Learning Community

To foster integration
of knowledge between the traditionally disparate disciplines of the Humanities
and the Sciences.

To help students and
faculty members appreciate and utilize modes of learning, dialogue, inquiry
and thought for which they are unfamiliar.

To help first-year
students establish a social framework that is built upon a vibrant intellectual
foundation. Students will live near each other, work on team assignments,
participate in numerous off-campus learning experiences, design and implement
community educational outreach activities, and enjoy planned social gatherings
designed to grow friendships, intellect, and maturity.

Goals of Humanities 101

To introduce students
to the study of the humanities and to engage students in humanistic inquiry.

To encourage students
to explore their own values and to consider how those values may affect
their view of contemporary ethical conflicts.

To encourage students
to pursue ongoing self-evaluation and reflection.

To empower
students with the confidence and curiosity to pursue their understanding
of a current or future "scientific issue" that may affect
their lives.

To foster an appreciation
of how scientific knowledge can contribute to resolving complex local,
regional and global civic issues through its effective, ethical and moral
application.

Objectives of Science 104

To use the scientific
method in a way that clearly demonstrates its broad utility across all
disciplines.

To engage students in "hands-on
science" to develop practical skills in data collection, analysis,
and interpretation.

To investigate
and debate complex civic problems that might find resolution through
an understanding and blending of science knowledge with other discipline-based
knowledge.

Specific Objectives for
"The Nature and Culture of Water." The
following objectives are somewhat unique to this particular learning community,
but may have broad relevance to similar initiatives that foster interdisciplinary
learning.

To consider water
from many angles and work across disciplines to discuss why this "element"
is so universal as myth, metaphor, and image.

To develop in students
a "sense of place" within their locale and region of the country
through the study and experience of various bodies of water.

To motivate students
to become engaged citizens through numerous field experiences and through
discussions with individuals (government officials, grass roots activists,
scientists, etc.) who are working to protect water resources.

To incorporate experiential learning
(e.g., educational outreach to children, data collection and analysis,
etc.) in combination with classroom learning to enhance the educational
outcome for all students.

To develop students' technological
skills in ways that enhance learning (e.g., developing personal web pages
to share their knowledge with each other and a broader audience) and help
disseminate the outcomes of this curricular program to other institutions
interested in undertaking similar initiatives.

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to "The Nature and Culture of Water" learning community home page.